I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of raking pine straw, and more particularly to a pine straw rake apparatus and system, and to a square drive for the pine straw rake apparatus and system.
II. Description of the Related Art
Hay rakes are well known. When hay from hay fields is cut, hay rakes are used to rake hay into rows that are subsequently baled into bales by hay balers. FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of a prior art hay rake 100. The rake 100 is normally mounted on a primary mover such as a tractor or trailer for a tractor.
The rake typically includes two circular drives 105, comprised of two cross bars 107. Each circular drive also includes a rotational point 106a, 106b. Rake bars 110 are connected to each circular drive 105 at corresponding points of connection 111. Each rake bar 110 includes several teeth 115 for raking hay. During operation the circular drives 105 rotate about their respective points of rotation 106a, 106b. Each of the circular drives 105 have their own longitudinal axes. The longitudinal axes run parallel to each other. Another way of describing the orientation is that the respective planes in which the two circular drives 105 rotate are parallel and offset.
As the circular drives 105 rotate, each of the respective rake bars 110 move along with their points of connection 111 on the drives 105. The teeth 115 of each bar 110 contact the ground each time the drive bars 107 point up and down. FIG. 1B illustrates a close up view of one of the circular drives 105. FIG. 1B illustrates that in the prior art hay rake 100, each of the rake bars 110 rotate in a circle and overlap the other bars. Arrows 120 illustrate the direction of rotation. At one instant, the teeth 115 of a given rake bar 110 are in contact with the ground 121. At an instant later, the teeth 115 are picked up from the ground 121 as the circular drives 105 rotate in the direction of the arrows 120. It can be seen that the rotation is purely circular and that the overlapping of the bars 110 is substantially elliptical. If the prior art rake 100 is used near an obstruction such as a tree or fence 122, the closest point of contact that the rake 100 can make with the ground is at a distance A, which is typically larger than half the length of the cross bars 107. This minimum distance is necessary to avoid a collision between the outer edges of the circular drives 105 and the obstacle 122.
Pine straw is typically used as top covering for landscaping. Pine straw is typically harvested by growing rows of suitable pine trees. The pine needles fall from the trees and dry out to become suitable pine straw. The pine straw typically falls all around the trees from the base of the tree and outward. Typically small hay rakes, such as rake 100, are used to gather the straw into rows that are subsequently gathered by small hay balers into small bales. In this case, the obstacle 122 is a pine tree. The circular motion of the hay rakes result in one point of contact with the ground such as described above, and this is the only time in which the teeth 115 contact the ground to rake the straw. Therefore a large is distance, A, typically 11-12 inches and higher from the base of the tree is not raked. The rake 100 can not be any closer to the tree than about half the length of the cross bars 107 or else it will hit the tree. This circular motion results in missed pine straw at and near the base of the tree. FIG. 1C illustrates a row of trees used for pine straw and a prior art hay rake having missed much of the pine straw. Therefore, workers with hand rakes have to manually rake the remaining pine straw from the base of the trees, requiring another pass of the hay baler. Hay balers and the circular drive of hay rakes are not ideally suited for pine straw raking.
In accordance with the present invention and the contemplated problems which have and continue to exist in this field, the invention features, pine straw rake apparatus and system and a square drive for use in the pine straw rake apparatus and system. The pine straw rake is adapted specially to efficiently rake up pine straw from the base of trees and outward.
In general in one aspect, the invention features a drive, including a first sprocket, a second sprocket, a third sprocket in a geometric and planar arrangement with the first and second sprockets and a roller chain wrapped around the partial circumferences of the sprockets.
In one implementation, the drive further includes a motor connected to the first sprocket.
In another implementation, the geometric arrangement is triangular.
In another implementation, the drive further includes a fourth sprocket in geometric and planar arrangement with the first, second and third sprockets and the geometric arrangement is square.
In another implementation the second and third sprockets have substantially the same diameter and the first sprocket has a diameter greater than the diameters of the second and third sprockets.
In another aspect, the invention features a pine straw rake, including two square drives in an offset and substantially parallel orientation with respect to each other, the square drives including a first sprocket, a second sprocket, a third sprocket in a geometric and planar arrangement with the first and second sprockets and a roller chain wrapped around the partial circumferences of the sprockets, a plurality of rake bars connected to respective points on each of the roller chains and a plurality of rake teeth connected to each of the rake bars.
In one implementation, the pine straw rake includes chain mounts connected to the roller chains and rotatably connected to respective ends of the rake bars and the rake bars are connected to the square drives at an angle.
In another implementation, the rake bars are adapted to overlap each other while in motion.
In another implementation, the square drives are adapted to direct the rake teeth in a motion toward the ground and in a motion along the ground during a cycle of movement of the square drive.
In still another aspect, the invention features a pine straw rake system, including a carrier having wheels, a pine straw rake connected to the carrier, the pine straw rake including two square drives in an offset and substantially parallel orientation with respect to each other, the square drives including a first sprocket; a second sprocket, a third sprocket in a geometric and planar arrangement with the first and second sprockets and a roller chain wrapped around the partial circumferences of the sprockets, a plurality of rake bars connected to respective points on each of the roller chains and a plurality of rake teeth connected to each of the rake bars.
In one implementation, the carrier is self-propelled.
In another implementation, the carrier is a trailer adapted to be pulled by a primary mover such as a tractor.
In another implementation, the trailer is a three point hitch.
In another implementation, the system includes a pine straw rake elevation adjustment attached to the carrier.
In another implementation, the system includes a cushion wheel connected to the carrier and oriented substantially perpendicular to the wheels.
In another implementation, the system includes a motor.
In yet another aspect, the invention features a rake system, including a plurality of rake bars, each bar having a plurality of rake teeth and means for orienting the rake teeth in a downward motion toward a point on the ground and in a motion within a line along the ground.
In another aspect, the invention features a method of raking pine straw, comprising providing a mechanism capable of orienting rake bars having rake teeth in a geometrical arrangement near a pine tree whereby pine straw close to the base of the pine tree is raked outward from the pine tree.
In still another aspect, the invention features a utility drive system, including two square drives in an offset and substantially parallel orientation with respect to each other, the square drives including a first sprocket, a second sprocket, a third sprocket in a geometric and planar arrangement with the first and second sprockets and a roller chain wrapped around the partial circumferences of the sprockets, and a plurality of cross bars connected to respective points on each of the roller chains.
In an implementation, the system includes brushes connected to the cross bars.
One advantage of the pine straw rake is that it gathers all of the pine straw from the base of trees and outward leaving an insignificant amount of unraked pine straw, typically four inches and less.
Another advantage of the pine straw rake is that the square drive maintains a wider and longer point of contact on the ground to more efficiently gather pine straw. Thus more pine straw is raked both closer to the tree and outward from the tree.
Another advantage of the invention is that it allows elevation adjustments to be made between the pine straw rake and the ground during operation of the pine straw rake systems. In this way an operator of the system does not have to cease the raking operation to make fine adjustments to compensate for uneven ground or other terrain.
One advantage of the drive utility system is that street cleaning brushes can be attached that can utilize the square drive.
Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings showing the preferred embodiment of the invention.